Anand/Gandhinagar, April 13 (IANS) Security arrangements for the upcoming Umreth Assembly by-election in Gujarat’s Anand district were reviewed on Monday as the State Director General of Police (DGP), K. L. N. Rao, chaired a high-level meeting to assess preparedness for ensuring a peaceful, fair and transparent polling process.​

Rao visited Anand along with senior police officials and held a comprehensive review of law and order arrangements, deployment planning and inter-agency coordination ahead of the by-election.​

The meeting focused on ensuring a secure environment throughout the electoral process.​

Detailed discussions were held on the deployment of local police forces in coordination with Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) personnel across the constituency.​

The review also covered the collection of licensed weapons and preventive action against anti-social elements to reduce the possibility of any disturbance during polling.​

The DGP directed strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and instructed the district police administration to intensify checking at all checkpoints.​

He also called for sustained “area domination” exercises in sensitive locations within the constituency to build voter confidence and maintain a visible security presence.​

Emphasising the role of technology in election security, Rao instructed officials to deploy drones for aerial surveillance and to ensure that police personnel on duty use body-worn cameras to maintain transparency in field operations.​

Arrangements for EVM strong rooms were also reviewed, with directions to implement a multi-layer security protocol and ensure regular inspections by senior officers.​

He further instructed that district control rooms remain in continuous communication with all polling stations and that communication systems be tested in advance to ensure a swift response mechanism in case of any untoward incident.​

Special emphasis was placed on polling stations identified as sensitive, with instructions for senior officers to personally inspect these locations and strengthen security arrangements on the ground.​

The cyber cell was directed to remain on high alert and take immediate, strict action against misinformation, rumours and content circulating on social media that could potentially disrupt the election process.​

Rao stated, “Gujarat Police is committed to providing a secure environment for free, fair and transparent elections,” and appealed to voters in the Umreth constituency to exercise their franchise without fear in a peaceful atmosphere.​

–IANS

mys/dan

​